EVEN AS WE SPEAK Feral Pop Frenzy 1993

indie pop on Sarah Records

Discogs

 
Tracklist 

1	Beelzebub	1:05
2	Beautiful Day	3:11
3	Falling Down The Stairs	2:30
4	Zeppelins	0:28
5	Anybody Anyway	2:47
6	Love Is The Answer	2:00
7	To See You Smile	2:54
8	Straight As An Arrow	3:42
9	Squid	0:50
10	One Thing	1:34
11	Sailor's Graves	3:49
12	Spirit Of Progress	3:52
13	Cripple Creek	0:45
14	Swimming Song	1:42
15	One Step Forward	4:18
16	Drown	2:56
17	O.G.T.T.	1:36

WHY POPSTARS CAN'T DANCE A Slumberland Compilation 1994

A Slumberland Records compilation

Discogs

Tracklist

1	–HoneyBunch	Walking Into Walls
2	–HoneyBunch	Time Trials
3	–The Artisans	Start Again
4	–The Artisans	Tolerance
5	–Rocketship	Your New Boyfriend
6	–Rocketship	Like A Dream
7	–The Steamkings	Darkest Star
8	–The Steamkings	Sad About You
9	–Stereolab	John Cage Bubblegum
10	–Stereolab	Eloge D'Eros
11	–Lorelei (2)	Stop What You're Doing
12	–Lorelei (2)	Float My Bed
13	–The Ropers	Blue Sunday
14	–The Ropers	Drive
15	–Linda Smith	The Real Miss Charlotte
16	–Linda Smith	There's Nothing You Can Do About It
17	–Glo-worm	Stars Above
18	–Glo-worm	Tilt-A-Whirl
19	–Jupiter Sun	Headlight Beam Reaction
20	–Jupiter Sun	Violet Intertwine
21	–Jane Pow	Reorganise
22	–Boyracer	Right Back Where I Started
23	–Boyracer	Speedtrap

AIR BALLOON ROAD A Sarah Compilation 1990

Sarah Records Compilation

Discogs

Tracklist

1	–The Orchids (2)	It's Only Obvious
2	–Another Sunny Day	I'm In Love With A Girl Who Doesn't Know I Exist
3	–The Sea Urchins	Please Rain Fall
4	–The Field Mice	If You Need Someone
5	–The Orchids (2)	Underneath The Window, Underneath The Sink
6	–St. Christopher	You Deserve More Than A Maybe
7	–The Field Mice	The End Of The Affair
8	–Gentle Despite	Darkest Blue
9	–The Golden Dawn	George Hamilton's Dead
10	–The Field Mice	Sensitive
11	–The Wake	Carbrain
12	–Brighter	I Don't Think It Matters
13	–The Sea Urchins	Pristine Christine
14	–14 Iced Bears	Come Get Me
15	–The Golden Dawn	My Secret World
16	–The Springfields (2)	Sunflower
17	–Another Sunny Day	You Should All Be Murdered
18	–St. Christopher	All Of A Tremble
19	–Action Painting!	These Things Happen
20	–The Poppyheads	Dreamabout
21	–Another Sunny Day	Green
22	–The Orchids (2)	Blue Light
23	–Brighter	Noah's Ark

PALE SAINTS In Ribbons 1992

Discogs

Artist Biography by Andy Kellman

Ethereal pop band the Pale Saints formed in Leeds, England, in 1987. Ian Masters (bass/vocals), Chris Cooper (drums), and Graeme Naysmith (guitar) were signed by Ivo Watts-Russell to his 4AD label on the strength of their first London appearance. The three-song Barging into the Presence of God was released two years later, receiving praise for its lead track, the melancholy "Sight of You" (which was later covered by Oxford's Ride for a radio session). In 1990, the debut LP The Comforts of Madness appeared in the bins, produced separately by Gil Norton (Echo & the Bunnymen, Pixies) and John Fryer (Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode). Categorized within the current shoegaze scene with My Bloody Valentine and Lush, the billowy Comforts of Madness had just about all the features of the subgenre, as well as a bizarre experimental bent. Masters' boyish vocals also stood out, not needing any production treatments to carry a wispy, levitational quality.

Meriel Barham, who was thanked for guitars and vocals on 1990's Half Life single, joined as a full member by the end of the year. Barham had been Lush's original vocalist (when they were calling themselves the Babymakers), recording a demo that was viewed as awful by all parties involved. The Pale Saints had been performing with a second guitarist, but wanted a permanent fourth member. Lush's Miki Berenyi suggested Barham to the band, and they obliged. Ace producer Hugh Jones lent his skills for 1992's In Ribbons. Yet another Bunnymen associate (the Pale Saints were obviously big fans of them, though you wouldn't know from their recordings), Jones captured a power and liveliness that Norton and Fryer didn't provide. Stronger musically and sound-wise, In Ribbons was another excellent album, though it sacrificed some of the band's original charms and quirks in favor of more pop accessibility. This and a growing disdain for touring led to Masters' departure in 1993. The remaining members replaced him with session hand and former Heart Throbs bassist Colleen Browne.
Many were surprised that the band continued, especially under the same name; mainly due to Masters' twists on facts and fun with the press, the Pale Saints were considered his band. Interviews with the later lineup would reveal that the band was more of a democratic process than originally perceived. Obviously -- why would Masters leave a band that he had control over to gain more control? Continuing their allegiance with Hugh Jones, 1994's Slow Buildings ended up being the band's final album. Lacking from the absence of Masters, the album also lacked focus. After touring, the band called it quits prior to 1997. The eccentric Masters continued to work under a vast array of guises, most notably paring up with A.C. Temple's Chris Trout for Spoonfed Hybrid and His Name Is Alive's Warren Defever for the lovely ESP Summer. Cooper and Naysmith continued with Lorimer, and Browne resumed her utility work for the likes of Warm Jets and Rialto. 

Tracklist

1	Throwing Back The Apple	4:09
2	Ordeal	3:58
3	Thread Of Light	4:05
4	Shell	4:54
5	There Is No Day	0:40
6	Hunted	6:28
7	Blue Flower	5:37
8	Hair Shoes	5:49
9	Baby Maker	3:26
10	Liquid	2:43
11	Neverending Night	4:46
12	Featherframe	4:39
13	A Thousand Stars Burst Open	4:38

THE ROPERS

All The Time

1995 

 

The World Is Fire

1997

 

Discogs

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

The Washington, D.C.-based indie pop band the Ropers was formed in 1991 by singer Doug Bailey and guitarist Mike Hammel, students at the University of Maryland who quit school after two years to begin making music. They soon recruited drummer Alex Hacker, whom both Bailey and Hammel knew from their brief stint in the Lilys; with bassist Greg Pavlovcak, the Ropers recorded their debut single, the 1992 Slumberland label release "Sunbathe," soon followed by "I Don't Mind." In 1994 the group released a self-titled EP, with the full-length All the Time following a year later; Hacker departed in early 1996, and with new drummer Mike Donovan, the Ropers recorded their TeenBeat label debut The World Is Fire, disbanding a short time later. 

 

All The Time 

Tracklist

1	Revolver	3:01
2	Flashlight	3:53
3	Rain	3:44
4	You Have A Light	5:07
5	Drive	7:12
6	Chained	4:52
7	Blind	2:34
8	Spider Web	2:26
9	Tried	3:50
10	Mystery Girl	6:15
11	Drive (Reprise)	4:32

 

The World Is Fire
 
Tracklist

1	Drink You Up
2	Please Understand
3	Take Your Time
4	Home
5	Paste
6	These Days
7	Dawn

ME'SHELL NDEGÉOCELLO Peace Beyond Passion 1996

by request

 

Discogs

Artist Biography by Greg Prato

Although Meshell Ndegeocello scored a few hits early in her career, the bassist, singer, and songwriter later opted to concentrate on more challenging material by exploring the politics of race and sex, among other topics. From her 1993 Maverick label debut through her releases of the 2010s for Naïve, she built a discography of recordings that defied classification through progressive mixtures of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and rock. Initially held in regard primarily for her bass playing and bold lyrics, her songwriting, which often examined dark interpersonal issues, was just as exceptional.
Michelle Lynn Johnson, born on August 29, 1968, spent the first few years of her life in Germany. Her father was both a military man and a jazz saxophonist. She relocated with her family to Virginia in the early '70s. As a youngster, Johnson developed an interest in music; during her teenage years, she began to play regularly in the clubs of Washington, D.C., but eventually settled down in New York City after a stint of studying music at Howard University. By this point, she was going by Me'Shell NdegéOcello -- her adopted last name Swahili for "free like a bird." After auditioning for several bands, including Living Colour, NdegéOcello struck out on her own and often performed solo with just a bass, drum machine, and keyboard. In the early '90s, she was one of the first artists signed to Madonna's Warner-affiliated Maverick label. 

 Tracklist 

1	The Womb	1:26
2	The Way	4:58
3	Deuteronomy: Niggerman	4:01
4	Ecclesiastes: Free My Heart	5:22
5	Leviticus: Faggot	6:08
6	Mary Magdalene	5:51
7	God Shiva	4:06
8	Who Is He And What Is He To You	4:49
9	Stay	4:30
10	Bittersweet	5:17
11	A Tear And A Smile	3:49
12	Make Me Wanna Holler	8:50